At 11:30 on Tuesday 20 January local shipping agent Tamlyn Shipping contacted Falmouth Coastguard requesting medical assistance on behalf of the MFV Atlantic Dawn. The vessel had reported having an injured crewman onboard and was diverting to Falmouth, a doctor having advised medical evacuation of the casualty on the vessels arrival at the port the following evening.

The Offshore Lifeboat left her berth at 17:09 on Wednesday 21 January and rendezvoused with the vessel in a position 8 miles south of Falmouth. At 17:41 crewmembers Mark Pollard and Dave Nicoll were transferred to the vessel to assess the casualtys condition, while the vessel continued to head up into Falmouth Bay. The injured crewman was found to be suffering from severe back pains. He was given Entonox gas to relieve the pain, and he was then placed in a stretcher. Once on deck he was transferred to the lifeboat using one of the vessels HIAB cranes. The transfer was completed at 19:15 and the lifeboat headed back to its pontoon berth where an ambulance was waiting to take him to Treliske Hospital.

MFV Atlantic Dawn is the world largest fishing vessel, being 145m in length, with a beam of 24 meters, and weighing in at 14,055 gross tonnes. The Irish registered vessel was built in Norway in 2000 and cost #50 million. She has a crew of 60 and can catch, process and hold up to 7,000 tonnes of fish, which is enough to feed 18 million people.

The Offshore Lifeboat was back alongside its pontoon berth by 19:40, where it was ready for service by 20:00.

An All Weather Lifeboat Service

 

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